A foundation composition can be applied to the face and other parts of the body to even skin tone and texture and to hide pores, imperfections, fine lines and the like. A foundation composition is also applied to moisturize the skin, to balance the oil level of the skin and to provide protection against the adverse effects of sunlight, wind and the harsh environment.
Make-up compositions are generally available in the form of liquid or cream suspensions, emulsions, gels, pressed powders or anhydrous oil and wax compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,444,291 discloses a method of filling and camouflaging skin cavities by applying a composition which includes 65 to 75 parts by weight of a microcrystalline wax and about 25 to 35 parts of a mineral oil. The composition includes a colourant, preferably a coal tar dye, for example, D &C Red No. 17, which matches the colour of the user's skin.
A spreadable, flowable and greaseless cosmetic cover-up composition is taught in U.S. Pat. No 4,486,405. That composition is characterized by the presence of a first and a second alkoxylated surfactant present in substantially the same concentration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,532 recites a facial cosmetic powder which utilizes crystalline silica in much lower concentration than that employed in the then prior art compositions. This powder, used as a blush or a facial coating, is said to be effective in hiding skin wrinkles, lines and pores. The composition is a mixture of a colour phase and a diluent phase. The colour phase is formed by blending crystalline silica with colourants. The resultant colour phase is mixed with the diluent phase, essentially formed from nacreous materials such as talc and mica, to form the composition.
The use of a foundation composition which has a significantly high concentration of nacreous material is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,207. This foundation, a pressed powder composition, is characterized by the presence of a nacreous material such as mica and a binder oil which provides a frosted pearl effect, that is, a lustrous look. The colour of this foundation is provided by the nacreous material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,562 discloses a cosmetic make-up composition which includes, as a binding agent therefore, an intimate mixture of from 5 to 95 weight percent of a mixture of finely divided silica and about 5 to 95 weight percent of finely divided polyethylene fibres. The composition is recited to maintain its uniformity over the areas of the skin to which it is applied. That is, it is said to be "creaseproof". The composition of the '562 patent includes colourant in admixture with nacreous agents.
Nakamura et al., Preprints of the XIVth I.F.S.C.C. Congress, Barcelona, 1986, Vol. I, 51-63 (1986) describes a novel make-up composition utilizing spherical silica and polydimethyl siloxane. This combination is recited to provide a foundation which reduces wrinkle visibility to a greater extent than make-up foundations with which it was compared. This reduction in wrinkle visibility is caused by optical blurring enhanced by the novel use of spherical silica and polydimethyl siloxane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,722 discloses a cosmetic make-up composition comprising water-in-oil emulsions comprising pigment coated with polysiloxane, a silicone phase, a water phase and a polydiorganosiloxane-polyoxyalkylene copolymeric surfactant.
Foundations in the form of oil-in-water emulsions are well known in the art. These have, however, not been successful from the viewpoint of moisturisation and shine/oil control.
In the past, humectants such as water-soluble polyglycerylmethacrylate lubricants and glycerine have been incorporated into skin and hair gel compositions for use as moisturisation agents. These compositions have provided improvements in moisturisation, absorption, skin feel, residue and skin care characteristics compared with conventional cosmetic cream and lotion compositions. There is still a need, however, for enhanced moisturisation both in the short and longer term and also increased emulsion stability and oil/shine control.
Liquid crystals are a special phase of matter. The liquid crystal phase exists between the boundaries of the solid phase and the isotropic liquid phase (i.e. an intermediate between the three dimensionally ordered crystalline state and the disordered dissolved state). In the liquid crystal state, some of the molecular order characteristics of the solid phase are retained in the liquid state because of molecular association structure and long range intermolecular order. The ability of some compounds to form a liquid crystalline mesophase had been observed nearly a century ago. Since that time many compounds exhibiting liquid crystalline properties have been synthesized and have been used to encapsulate and act as a delivery vehicle for drugs, flavours, nutrients and other compounds.
It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a make-up composition in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion comprising an amphiphilic material capable of forming liquid crystals.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a pigmented make-up composition in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion which exhibits improved moisturisation together with good product stability and reduced shine.